Kissing Cousins and Other Inbreeding

If you've ever been confused by the concept of cousins "removed", you're not alone. Here's an easy way to understand it.

Count the number of generations back on the family tree, beginning with your grandparents, until you come to a common ancestor. That determines the cousin degree. All of your mom's or dad's brothers and sisters have the same grandparents: that's the first generation. So that makes the offspring of your mom's or dad's brothers and sisters your first cousins. The second generation back are second cousins, and the third generation back third cousins, and so forth. That explains the first part of the cousin description.

To determine the "removed" part, count the differences in generations between that person and you.

For example, if you count up to the common ancestor 5 generations, and down the family tree to your cousin 4 generations, then the difference between 5 and 4 is 1, so you are fifth cousins once removed. Another example: If you count up to the common ancestor 10 times, and down the cousin's family tree to them 12 times, the difference between 10 and 12 is 2, so they are your 10th cousin twice removed.

It was relatively
common for close relatives to marry in times when people did not travel far
and towns were small. We have encountered a number of closely intertwined family
relations, which explains something. I'm not sure what.

My Wife is My Cousin

Rebecca Phelps is the sixth great grandmother of Sharla Kay Morgan, my wife.
We have not yet been able to establish Rebecca Phelps' ancestry. She is said
to have been born in Virginia or Georgia in about 1750. From the notes of one
John Bates, "It is thought that Rebecca's father's name was Aaron Phelps." In
the 1820 Census she was living with her son Uriah in Jackson Co., Georgia.

The Aunt Who Married Her Nephew

My fifth great-grandparents, Aaron Phelps and Rachel Bagg, were first cousins
who grew up alongside each other in Westfield, Massachusetts. Aaron Phelps'
father Isaac Phelps and Rachel Bagg's mother Hannah Phelps were siblings. Aaron
Phelps was seven
years
older than Rachel. They
married
on 26 Jun 1729 when she was 27 years old. Almost a spinster by standards of
the time.

First Cousins are Married

Periously close on the apple tree were first cousins and husband and
wife Thomas J. Claggett and Columbia Claggett. Their common ancestors are their
grandparents Dr. Samuel Claggett II and Amey Jane Ramey.

One-quarter First Cousins?

My great-grandfather Luther Sanford Beasley was married to both his first and
his second cousin at the same time: Ruth Matella Claggett.

Luther and his wife Ruth were—what do you call this relationship—"Quarter-first
cousins?"

Its a wondor I cn reed and wrte.

Royal Intermarriage

A few generations before that, long enough not to account for any missing
words in my vocabulary, John Robertson married Lady Margaret Chrichton,
his second cousin once removed. They were also interrelated seven other
ways.

As sixth and as seventh cousins, both are descendants of Robert the
Bruce King of Scotland.

As eighth and ninth cousins, they are both descended from Robert
"The Competitor" Bruce.

As ninth cousins, their common ancestors are Walter Stewart
Third High
Steward of Scotland and Beatrix de Angus.